Persona Thingy: Aidon

His Manuscript

You leaf through the half-completed book, looking for a place to start. Although clearly unfinished, it is already hundreds of pages. It is written in a small, neat hand, with spaces left for calligraphy next to the initial capitals (presumably done by the monks or a local guild). After a few minutes of searching, you come upon what appears to be an introduction or history.

"The Order of Tomalak owes its main principles, and indeed its very existence, to the work of one man, Tomalak himself. Considered by outside scholars to be an archetypal figure representing the Order's values, our own records reveal that this man was real. In his early years, he traveled as an itinerant preacher, with a new revolutionary message: whatever god the locals worshipped was merely one facet of the only true god, the One Master of all the world. The people were not idolaters, merely uninformed. While most spurned his teachings, he acquired a loyal following who traveled with him from town to town. Eventually he came to the attention of the government and was ordered before the Senior Matriarch of Draconia Nest.

"Not even Tomalak anticipated the reaction of the dragons, who shied away from him and refused to carry him to the nest. Fearing that he was some sort of devil, the local castle threatened to send dragons against his band of followers if he continued to disrupt the local order. Opting for the peaceful way out, he founded a monastery and convent on opposite coasts of Antilo. The work of founding the Order left him an old man, and the only legacy he left was the myriad texts he had written. These works include tomes on the founding principles of the Order, more mundane tenets of running the monastery, and a book of messages from the One Master he recieved during his travels. This is our sacred writing, and the early monks developed the Order into its present form.

"After Tomalak died, his spirit ascended to serve at the court of the One Master. His earthly life serves as an example to the brothers; day-to-day prayers should be directed to Tomalak, as the Master has given him some small measure of power over this world in return for his devotion. While he is not any type of god, he has progressed to a more exalted plane of existence."

The book continues on for some time in that vein; you page through to another section, which shows much more evidence of Aidon's personality as opposed to his religious devotion.

"Tomalak does not mention the other intelligent creatures of Everond, dragons and salrinds, but eminent scholars (for example, Tafv in "Foundations of Everond") have concluded that because of the dragons' aversion to Tomalak, a holy and righteous man, they can both recognize good and evil (a mark of the One Master's touch), but also are unable to comprehend spiritual truths and so are not as advanced as humans. Therefore, impressing a dragon (or even association with one) is a sign that the brother is spending too much time on this world and not enough on the spirit. However, the subject is by no means closed; there has been no concerted effort as of yet to study salrinds, and the true nature of a dragon has yet to be determined by an informed source. After all, they are eminently different creatures and may have an entirely different understanding of the world than we do."

This passage defending Aidon (albeit indirectly) brings a smile to your face, and you hand the manuscript back to him. A surprising amount of emotion crosses his face as he asks hopefully, "Did you like it?" A pat answer along the lines of "It seems very instructive" seems to satisfy him, and after a quick prayer, he is back on the road to Talon Nest.

Upon reaching the main gates, you thank Aidon and go your separate ways. You find yourself wondering what would have happened to this young man if he had looked normal... from the one outlet of humor he allowed himself, he may have even been happy. You continue on into the dragon nest, now more than ever determined to make a name for yourself among the dragon riders.